Priority to German Patent Application No. 101 44 583.0-21, filed Sep. 11, 2001 and hereby incorporated by reference herein, is claimed.
The invention relates to a top for a convertible vehicle, comprising a roof frame, said roof frame, in a closed state of the top, extending from a rear region of the convertible vehicle as far as a windshield arranged between A-pillars; said roof frame comprising at least one rear frame piece, a central frame piece, said central frame piece being connected in an articulated manner to the rear frame piece, and a front frame piece; a front element; a cover of the top, said cover being fixed to said front element.
In the construction of modern convertible vehicles, increasing importance is attached to the fully automatic execution of opening and closing processes of convertible tops. As far as possible, the vehicle driver should not have to intervene at any point of the opening or closing process of a convertible vehicle. This also includes it no longer being necessary to provide a convertible top which has been opened and folded together with a covering for its protection, for example by means of a tarpaulin. A particularly effective solution is provided if, in the opened state of the top, part of the convertible top simultaneously undertakes the function of a covering, at least of part of the top.
DE 196 13 356 C2 describes a top for a convertible vehicle, in which a roof frame is divided into three frame pieces which can move relative to one another, the front frame piece, which, in a closed state of the top, is adjacent to the windshield, being pivoted parallel over the central frame piece by means of a four-bar linkage arrangement, during an opening process. In this case, it has proven problematic in the practical implementation of an arrangement of this type that the sealing elements, which are to be attached to the frame pieces and seal the top on the convertible vehicle, are moved unfavorably with respect to one another, at least at the start of the opening movement or at the end of the closing movement. In addition, the fabric of the convertible top extends as far as the front edge of the top, where it is fixed to a front bow. Due to the mechanism, which is present, the length ratio between the front frame piece and the central frame piece is variable only to a small extent, the front frame piece, in particular, being of significantly shorter design than the rear frame piece.
DE 198 01 876 A1 describes a top for a convertible vehicle, which, with respect to the present invention, is identical with the one described in DE 196 13 356 C2.
DE 299 01 589 U1 describes a top for a convertible vehicle, comprising three frame pieces and a rigid front part being fixedly connected to the front frame piece. In an opening movement of the top, the rigid front part is being pivoted into an inverted position and therefore not suited to form out a cover for the folded top in the open state.
An object of the present invention is to provide a top for a convertible vehicle, in which great flexibility in the design of the length ratios of the frame pieces is made possible.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a top for a convertible vehicle in which a particularly simple and reliable arrangement of seals is made possible.
These and further objects are achieved by the invention.
A top for a convertible vehicle according to the invention comprises a roof frame, said roof frame, in a closed state of the top, extending from a rear region of the convertible vehicle as far as a windshield arranged between A-pillars; said roof frame comprising at least one rear frame piece, a central frame piece, said central frame piece being connected in an articulated manner to the rear frame piece, and a front frame piece; a front element; a cover of the top, said cover being fixed to said front element; said front frame piece being connected in an articulated manner directly to said central frame piece; and said front element being connected pivotably with respect to said front frame piece to said front frame piece.
In this arrangement, a top is advantageously provided in which, firstly, a front frame piece is connected in an articulated manner directly to a central frame piece, but, at the same time, a front element of the top is fixed in an articulated manner on the front frame piece, with the result that during an opening movement of the top the front element is advantageously pivoted essentially parallel over a central section of the top and, during the entire opening movement, essentially retains its orientation in accordance with the closed state of the top. In a particularly advantageous manner, such a front element of a top according to the invention can then be formed as a hard shell part in such a manner that, in the opened position of the top, it is used at the same time as an at least partial covering of the top which has been folded together and deposited in a rear region of the motor vehicle. In this arrangement, the front element is connected to the convertible top fabric.
The retention of the orientation of the front element is achieved in a particularly advantageous manner by the front element, which is pivotably attached to the front frame piece, being articulated by means of a front control link which is fixed in an articulated manner by its other end to the front frame piece.
In an advantageous refinement of a folding top according to the invention, the pivoting of the front frame piece relative to the central frame piece is activated via a central control link, and the pivoting of the central frame piece relative to the rear frame piece is activated via a rear control link, the roof frame being designed as a whole as a chain of essentially three four-bar linkages which overall form a positively controlled chain of links. Thus, by simple activation preferably of the rear frame piece or of the rear control link via a driving device, the entire kinematics of the top can be moved in a defined manner.
In order to make possible, in a simple manner, a particularly large pivoting angle of the front frame piece relative to the central frame piece, the central control link is first of all connected in an articulated manner to a toggle lever element, the toggle lever element being connected in an articulated manner at one end to the front frame piece and at the other end to the central frame piece.
In order, in the closed state of the top, to seal the top on the convertible vehicle in a simple and low-wearing manner, a front, a central and a rear seal are advantageously provided on the respective front, central and rear frame pieces. In this case, the simple, hinged pivoting of two frame pieces in each case with respect to each other ensures a low-friction and precise positioning of the respective seals with respect to one another.
In the interests of constructing a top according to the invention in a manner which is as modular and compact as possible, a main bearing unit comprising a driving device is fixed on the bodywork of the convertible vehicle, the top being articulated with its rear frame piece and a rear control link on the main bearing unit, so that by using the driving device to drive the rear frame piece or the rear control link, pivoting of the entire, positively controlled top mechanism is ensured in a simple manner. In addition, a corner bracket which is known per se and, in the closed state of the top, engages on the fabric of the top, is articulated pivotably likewise in the region of the main bearing unit.
In a known manner, a rear window is incorporated in the top fabric, it being possible for the rear window, on account of the well-defined and automated opening and closing movement of a top according to the invention, also to consist of a hard or at least stiff material without having to worry about the rear window becoming damaged during the opening or closing process of the top.
Further features and advantageous of the invention emerge from the exemplary embodiment described below and from the claims.